__________________

The Danish Girl (2015), a film about a transgender pioneer, is stunning from top to bottom, beginning to end, but what interests me is how architecture is used to represent the mindset of characters. Just as it is commonplace to have villains living in modern architecture, in The Danish Girl, the most progressive Parisian thinkers surround themselves in Art Nouveau. This art style was most popular between 1890 and 1910, making sense for The Danish Girl timeline, which takes places in the 1920's.

The first time we see Art Nouveau is when Gerda Wegener (the wife) visits her husband's childhood friend, thinking he could be an ally in a murky trans-world. Well, you can tell by his entryway that she was right!

She walks through his Art Nouveau door, into his Art Nouveau office, with his Art Nouveau furnishing, to beholds his sexy progressive thinking face.

And this is the dumbstruck face I would make if I was bombarded with this much architectural beauty, only to find that the owner was cut from marble.

Next thing Gerda knows, he is taking her to an Art Nouveau cafe.....

...and an Art Nouveau party...

....but she is still having a hard time with the whole trans thing, so she gets emotional and goes back to his place. Luckily she is able to have a good sit in his Art Nouveau stairwell.

Finally he recommends a progressive minded doctor who is not dismissive of Gerda's husbands cross dressing. The couple meets the doctor at a cafe, of sorts. The scene plays like it is in another location, but it is clearly filmed in Sexy Man's house.